Newcastle United’s script has been rewritten over the past several years. How funny perspective is. Only three seasons ago, Magpies all around would have jumped at the chance to be 12th during the festive period, two points away from European contention.
But the lens through which United’s football is viewed has been rightly refocused over the past few campaigns, with the PIF and Eddie Howe working together to turn Newcastle into a force to be reckoned with on the continental stage.
Now, though, things need to improve in the Premier League. That said, Newcastle can reach their goals in 2025, should they spend wisely in the transfer market. There’s also the matter of high-priced sales, namely involving one of Bruno Guimaraes or Alexander Isak.
Either departure would eclipse the record outgoings on Tyneside to date. Why don’t we take a look at them?
Newcastle's record sales
Newcastle added two names to the record sales list last summer, cashing in on academy star Elliot Anderson and prodigious talent Yankuba Minteh for a joint-club-record £35m and £30m respectively.
While annoying, these sales were crucial in that they allowed United to swerve PSR troubles and keep aforementioned megastars Guimaraes and Isak on Tyneside, along with Anthony Gordon.
But the sizeable sums collected fell into an existing group of exits that opens interesting discussion regarding the successful sales negotiated during Mike Ashley’s tyrannical reign. Andy Carroll’s £35m sale – still joint-top with Anderson – to Liverpool remains one of the best bits of business in contemporary Premier League history.
1.
Elliot Anderson
Nott’m Forest
£35m
1=
Andy Carroll
Liverpool
£35m
3.
Yankuba Minteh
Brighton
£30m
3=
Moussa Sissoko
Tottenham
£30m
3=
Ayoze Perez
Leicester
£30m
Newcastle’s chequered transfer history is a real thing, but there’s no denying a certain knack for cultivating rich talents and shipping them on for a hefty figure.
Among these record departures, the sale of Moussa Sissoko is one that stands out as maximising profitability at a time of need.
Why Newcastle were right to sell Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko was something of a fan favourite at St. James’ Park, and understandably so, for in January 2013, he arrived in a package worth only £2.2m and went on to complete 133 appearances, notching 31 goal contributions.
Alan Pardew reinforced his growing French contingent with the shrewd signing and hailed Sissoko’s arrival as a “massive plus,” having dipped big time after qualifying for the Europa League during the previous campaign.
Versatile and dynamic, the former France international, who now plays for Watford in the Championship, didn’t score much for the Toon but excelled through his powerful running, ground-covering dominance and influence across attacking and defensive areas.
Now 35, in the twilight phase of his career, Sissoko will look back on his career in English football with fondness, even recovering to become a key figure at Tottenham Hotspur for a stretch of time despite starting on the wrong footing, but even that was fleeting, flaking away as Father Time swallowed him up.
Sissoko made over 200 appearances for Tottenham but was sold to Watford for just £2.5m in August 2021. This in itself isn’t representative of his fallen value, for he was 32 and of course not worth that once-high fee, but the new boss down N17, Nuno Espirito Santo, had made it clear that the midfielder was not in his first-team plans, speaking of an assessment that returned measly results.
Pundit Chris Sutton criticised Sissoko as a “bad buy” and a “disappointment” for the north Londoners way back in 2016, and though he somewhat redeemed himself, Newcastle will feel that they got an excellent deal when they did.
The veteran must be remembered for his energetic and impressive performances with Newcastle, but for £30m, the Magpies hit the jackpot and cashed in at the perfect time. Given his up-and-down career, there’s no telling whether he would have dipped and lost his value before a team like Spurs swept in.
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